Metal railroad-tie



(No Model.) v A. MERAMBR.

METAL RAILROAD TIE.

No. 438,764. Y Patentedfonzl,1890;'

mi uonme versus co., muro-uwe'. msnmarnn n I:

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ARTHUR M. KRAMER, OF UNIONTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

M ETAL RAILROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,764, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed J une 18, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. KRAMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Metal Railroad-Tie, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to metal railroad-ties; and the objects in view are to provide an extremely simple easily-manufactured tieA of greatdurability, strength, dac., and to which the rails may be readily and rigidly connected against any accidental disconnection or spreading.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a tie constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, rail-sections being thereon. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the center of the tie. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rail-clamping pin and its locking-key before and after locking. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified construction of locking-key and clamp.

Like numerals of reference indicate lik parts in all thev figures of the drawings.

Inpracticing my invention I construct the tie of sheet metal and rectangular in crosssection, the tie-blank being folded longitudinally at intermediate points of its side edges, as shown. Previous, however, to the folding process, as above described, the openings punched therefrom are formed.

A transverse cut is formed in the upper side of the center of the tie l, and said cut intersects opposite longitudinal and parallel cuts, and the metal thus cutis punched downward or depressed to form a pair of downwardl y and inwardly disposed inclined anchoring tongues or plates 2. The lower portion or bottom of the tie has an oblong opening 3, which corresponds with the combined length of the tongues, and through said opening the tongues depend andare continued a slight distance below the bottom, so that they take into the road-bed and form an anchorage for the tie that prevents it from slipping. The space between the tongues is provided with Serial No. 35 5,352. (No model.)

a filling, as is also the tie itself, with the exception of those portions thereof occupied by elements of construction to be hereinafter described.

At proper distances apart and at each side of the center of the tie the same is provided upon its upper side with an opening 4 of a width agreeing with that of the base of the rail 5. A portion of the metal is left' at the outer sides or edges of the openingwhich metal forms an upwardly inclined or disposed tongue 6, said tongue being adapted to embrace the outer edge of the rail-section. In practice I prefer to locate within the tie and under the openings 4 cushions 7, which cushions may be either blocks of wood, rubber, soft metal, or of other desired material calculated to absorb the jar and prevent unnecessary noise, as would be the case where metal comes against metal. The noise will also be materially deadened by the road-bed or tam ping with which the tie is filled. Beyond the edges of each opening 4 and at each side of its longitudinal center are punched oblong openings 8 both in the top and bottom of the tie, those openings of the upper or top portion being in vertical alignment with the corresponding openings in the lower or bottom portion.

9 designates a rail-clamping pin, said pin consisting of a central stem or straight portion of a length agreeing with the vertical depth of the tie, said stem portion terminat ing at its lower end in a right-angularly-disposed foot 10 and at its upper end in a head 11, the inner lower edge of which is undercut or inclined to overlap or embrace the inner edge of the base of the rail-section. The length of the foot portion 10 of the clamp is sufliciently small to permit the downward insertion of the foot through the openings 8, there being provided one clamp for each openinff.

l2 designates a wedge or pin,wl1ich, after the -rail is in position and the clampsA in their respective openings, is inserted in each of said openings in rear of the clamps and occupies IOO 'siredgmay be drivenl and thereby turned.

are slightly beveled, as at 13, so that a crowbar of suitable construction may be inserted? under the tie and its end between the pin and clamp at the beveled portion of the former. Severe blows of the hammer or Sledge upon the locking-pin will serve to deflect the lower end of said pin or turn the` same Slightly from the clamp and under the tie, so that its withdrawal or liability to work loose is impossif` ble and a most secure fasteningis provided.4

If desired, I may omit the lip 6 and simply employ the opposite pair orv pairsof oppositeI clamps and pins, or I may employ the lip at one side and the clampsand f pins 1at thev op-': posite side.

Referring' toFig. 5,'i'nwhieh I have illusvtr-afre'd-a kslightly-modified form of "clamp, it? -wll be observed that the only dierence is;

that the lower end of the clamp isprovide'd "with 4afnirrelined lug 14,'againstwhich the lower end of akeylZ-beveled or not, as de-L `I`ronr the above "description it fwill l be ap-i parent r that I have f providedfan extremely simple, strongyri gid, :and durable tie,= which -may becheaply manufactured: and connected; with the rails.

Having thus described 1n y invention, what I- ifclaim is- `1. The' combination, with a sheet-metal` tie;

. provided with opposite railsreceivi 11gi open-i' ings, one edge ofeach rofwhich is struck up;` to form an inclinedy tongue, ofthe rails mounted f in l the openings'and having u their bases overlapped by th e tongues, 'and spikes 'driven` topprovded with a pair of inwardly and "downwardly disposed anchoring tongues or 'ofsuch keys mounted in each of the oblong openings, and wedge-shaped keys mounted in said openings in =Srearof the :clamping-key, substantially as specified.

4.. A sheet-metal u tie l provided withopposite. pairs fof oblong openings, said ntie being hollow :and rectangular in :cross-section,` so

that the openings of thetop align with those `of the bottom, rail-sections mounted between L. the .openingsyclampingfpins mounted in `each of Y said Vopenin gs andi provided' rat` their lower endsiwithlinwardlydisposedl feet taking: un-4 der the tie: and at. theirupper endswith'undercut "headstakingvcverthebases of the rails, and 'wedge-shaped locking-pins :driven in said openings iny rear of-each clampingfpin and havingtheir -lower ends outwardlylbent or away from said clamping-pin, substantially asvspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownIfhave hereto affixed fmy signature in presence of. two witnesses.

ARTHUR M. KRAMER Witnesses:

CARY S. BRYNER, SAMUEL AjPoUNDs'roNE. 

